On June 12, 1898, the Philippines - a country of humble
yet great people - declared its freedom from over three centuries of
Spanish oppression. There was festive celebration, and our forefathers
were crying in joy of being free at last!
What a wonderful occasion to remember. So many had died before us to
deliver the freedom that we enjoy until today. Despite the hardship
and poverty in our land, there are many reasons to be grateful. We are
free, and to some people, it's all they need.
But you know what? The greatest deliverance ever accomplished took place
two thousand years ago. A man named Jesus, who came from God, single-handedly
battled sins to set us free. He suffered the ultimate punishment on
Earth, humbled by men who mocked him, and died so that this nation and
all nations on Earth shall have the right to Heaven.
What a greater occasion to remember. Jesus, the Son of God, humbled
himself as a man and died for us, so that we will be spared from the
death that we deserve. Despite the hardship and poverty in our land,
we can cherish the fact that we have the right to claim the Paradise
in the proper time. We are free from sins, and it's all we need.
Jesus Christ rose from the dead, ascended to Heaven and sat at the right
hand of God. This guarantees that He is there to mediate between God
and us. It is very reassuring to know that He is preparing a place for
us in Heaven.
This Christmas, may we remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ
has done for us. May we keep in mind that as a response to His everlasting
love, what we need is to recognize Him as our lord and savior and invite
Him to prevail upon our sins and direct our ways while we still live
on Earth. And this Christmas, may we stop paying tribute to Santa Claus
and his reindeer and focus our gratitude to the One who set us free.
Let us join together in this prayer.
God, the most high, we praise You for your kindness. We thank You for
sending Jesus Christ from Heaven, so that He can deliver us from the
sins of Earth. Now that we are free, we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord
and Savior. We allow Him to prevail upon our sins and lead us to your
righteousness. Glory to You, our God in the highest. We thank you, in
the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!
Bible verses were quoted from the New International
Version (NIV).
